Italian pet market (I): Pet food turnover hits €3.1 billion in 2024

The Italian dog and cat food sector hit a turnover of €3.1 billion ($3.5B) last year, according to the latest edition of the Assalco report released during Zoomark in Bologna.

This marks an increase of 3.7% year on year (YoY), compared to an 11% increase registered in 2023 and 11.4% in 2022.

However, the report found that the industry maintained a compound annual growth rate of 9.8% between 2021 and 2024. In this period, the market increased from €2.4 billion ($2.7B) to €3.1 billion ($3.5B) in 2024.

“The pet food market remains a resilient sector despite persistent inflation and economic uncertainties due to the increase in the cost of energy and some raw materials, as well as the general slowdown in growth,” says Assalco’s Chairman Giorgio Massoni.

According to the new data, volume sales in the pet food category went back to 2021 levels. Between 2023 and 2024, they dipped by 1.4%.

Cat business is on top

Growth in cat product values was stronger than for dogs and other animals. Cat products accounted for 56.3% of the total value, an increase of 5% YoY.

The segment’s turnover also increased last year, from €1.66 billion ($1.88M) in 2023 to €1.76 billion ($1.99B).

The Assalco data unveils that wet food is driving the growth in the pet food space in Italy, with a 5.3% performance increase in 2024.

Dog overview

Dog spending among Italian pet parents grew at a slower pace, increasing by 2.1% YoY.

According to the new market data, the category represents €1.37 billion ($1.55B) of the total turnover. In 2023, dog food hit €1.34 million ($1.52M).

The increase is driven by dry food, which saw a rise of 2.3% between 2023 and 2024.

Retail channel breakdown

The Assalco-Zoomark report breaks down brick-and-mortar sales into 3 categories: chains and supermarkets, grocery stores and traditional pet shops.

Chains and supermarkets saw strong growth in sales values for various food items in 2024.

The biggest increases were wet cat food (+14.1%) and wet dog food (+10.5%). Dry dog and dry cat food increased by 8.6% and 9.7%, respectively.

Grocery and traditional pet shops saw more moderate growth. Together, they posted a 3.2% increase in wet dog and cat food sales. Dry cat food sales increased by 2.6% in grocery stores and 3% in traditional pet shops.

Dry dog food grew in traditional pet shops by 2.3%, but not in grocery stores.

Accessories and treats

The report also found declines in the pet accessory market, which has struggled internationally in recent years.

Total spending on accessories was €83.7 million ($94.8M) in 2024, down from €85 million ($96.3M) in 2023.

Hygiene products comprised the majority of accessory purchases (56.6%), with chews making up 14.7%. Toys (7.2%) and parasite control (4.1%) followed.

The data reveals that parasite control saw strong growth, with the niche category’s sales value total increasing by 10.7% since 2023.

Snacks and treats for cats outperformed last year, with an 11.3% increase in the chain and supermarket channel and a 10.9% increase in grocery. The increase among specialty pet retailers was softer, though at 3.7%.